Vacant land by Venice airport might be developed

Published: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 1:10 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 5:13 p.m.

VENICE - In a move that could transform the southern gateway to Venice, the City Council on Tuesday approved rezoning one of the largest undeveloped areas on the island to allow for significant commercial development.

The Venice City Council voted 6-1 on first reading to strike a phrase from an ordinance that previously barred commercial and residential development of the 65 acres of land surrounding the space just north of Circus Bridge, also known as the Southern Gateway Corridor.

City Planner Scott Pickett said the council's vote is among the first steps in realizing a more visually appealing entry to the island.

"You come off the bridge and bang, you see it," Pickett said. "So from our point of view, it's one of those strategic, gateway properties that leaves an impression on people when they arrive in the community."

The previous zoning stipulated the land be limited to public use, such as a park.

Now, the area could see a mixed-use, residential and commercial area complete with restaurants, condominiums, a marina, hotel rooms, medical offices and event venues.

The land has been a long source of debate within Venice. Part of it once served as the winter home and training facilities for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The circus held its world premiere every year in Venice from 1962 through 1992.

But with the circus no longer there and its former facilities deteriorating, some city leaders have pushed for developing the area, which borders the Intracoastal Waterway and is less than a mile from the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2004, the city considered proposals for a massive redevelopment of the area, including a marina, movie theaters, condominiums and even a circus museum. But the proposals were ultimately rejected and a new slow-growth group of city leaders, along with the Great Recession, temporarily put to rest plans to develop the area.

Now, the combination of an improving economy and a swing on the City Council more open to development has resurrected hopes that the area could be transformed.

The Venice Municipal Airport controls much of the land and would receive the vast majority of rental revenue generated by development. When the airport was deeded to the City of Venice by the federal government decades ago, the federal government included a clause saying the profits from all non-aeronautical activities on the land would go directly to the airport.

Christopher Rozansky, who manages the Venice Municipal Airport, said about half of the airport's revenue comes from such non-aeronautic activities, like the Lake Venice Golf Club and the Venice Municipal Mobile Home Park.

It used to get rental revenue from Sharky's Restaurant on the Pier, before the city bought the land on which Sharky's stands last summer.

That loss of revenue has put financial pressure on the airport.

"Without that share of the Sharky's revenue, we're on the cusp of being in the red," Rozansky said. "So we need to find some replacement revenue."

But advocates for the Venice Circus Arena, which sits on the newly zoned land, have long said the airport could make more money by renting out the skeleton of the former circus arena - which they hope to cover with a canvas canopy - for events, farmers markets and live music performances.

Larry Ivey, a member of the Venice Circus Arts Foundation who was at Tuesday's council meeting, said the newly opened door for development could slow the plans for the arena.

"It doesn't keep us from (saving the arena) by changing this plan," Ivey said. "But it creates competition if and when someone wants to build something there."

In 2004, Venice-based Waterford Companies proposed building a six-screen movie theater, up to 500 hotel rooms, a spa, a yoga center, a YMCA, a teen activities center, restaurants, a conference center, up to 100,000 square feet of shops, and a 99-slip marina with dry-docking facilities for 360 boats.

This time around, the city council has no plan for what to actually do with the land.

The lack of concrete ideas worried Venice Councilman Jim Bennett, who was the sole council member to vote against opening the land up to development.

He said although he would like to see the land developed eventually, the city should have taken more time to figure out what would go where and how each separate parcel properties would be used and developed.

By just lifting the restrictions on development, Bennett said, the area could suffer from unforeseen issues.

"It makes it even less controlled than it is now," Bennett said. "It's like a free-for-all, and I don't think that's how we should go about this."

But Rozansky, with the airport, hopes to get planning ideas from Venice residents by hosting several public workshops in the coming weeks and months.

He said although he does not have a timeline for development, he hopes the community and developers will come up with an agreeable plan.

"Venice is a unique community," Rozansky said. "They want to retain that small-town charm, but I think it has the opportunity to promote tourism and create jobs and enhance the tax base — all the while giving rental revenue to the airport."

EARLIER: In a move that could transform the Southern gateway to Venice, the City Council today tentatively approved rezoning one of the largest undeveloped areas on the island to allow for significant commercial development.

The Council voted 6-1 on first reading to strike a phrase from an ordinance that previously barred the commercial and residential development of the land surrounding the area north of Circus Bridge.

The area runs from the Circus Bridge to Avenida Del Circo and Airport Avenue south of U.S. 41, and it stretches from the circus bridge to Fairway Boulevard in the north, touching the southern edge of the Amora neighborhood.

The current zoning barred commercial and residential development of the land, meaning it could have only been developed into a public space, like a park.

Now, the area could see a mixed-use, residential and commercial area complete with restaurants, condominiums, a marina, medical offices and event venues.

The Venice Municipal Airport controls much of the land and would receive the vast majority of rental revenue generated by developing the Southern Gateway area. When the airport was deeded to the City of Venice by the federal government decades ago, the federal government included a clause saying the profits from all non-aeronautical activities on the land would go directly to the airport.

Christopher Rozansky, who manages the Venice Municipal Airport, said the land is like a blank slate for the community and plans to hold public workshops so citizens can have their hand in the development process.

“Venice is a unique community,” Rozansky said. “They want to retain that small-town charm, but I think it has the opportunity to promote tourism and create jobs and enhance the tax base - all the while giving rental revenue to the airport.”

<p><em>VENICE</em> - In a move that could transform the southern gateway to Venice, the City Council on Tuesday approved rezoning one of the largest undeveloped areas on the island to allow for significant commercial development.</p><p>The Venice City Council voted 6-1 on first reading to strike a phrase from an ordinance that previously barred commercial and residential development of the 65 acres of land surrounding the space just north of Circus Bridge, also known as the Southern Gateway Corridor.</p><p>City Planner Scott Pickett said the council's vote is among the first steps in realizing a more visually appealing entry to the island.</p><p>"You come off the bridge and bang, you see it," Pickett said. "So from our point of view, it's one of those strategic, gateway properties that leaves an impression on people when they arrive in the community."</p><p>The previous zoning stipulated the land be limited to public use, such as a park.</p><p>Now, the area could see a mixed-use, residential and commercial area complete with restaurants, condominiums, a marina, hotel rooms, medical offices and event venues.</p><p>The land has been a long source of debate within Venice. Part of it once served as the winter home and training facilities for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The circus held its world premiere every year in Venice from 1962 through 1992.</p><p>But with the circus no longer there and its former facilities deteriorating, some city leaders have pushed for developing the area, which borders the Intracoastal Waterway and is less than a mile from the Gulf of Mexico.</p><p>In 2004, the city considered proposals for a massive redevelopment of the area, including a marina, movie theaters, condominiums and even a circus museum. But the proposals were ultimately rejected and a new slow-growth group of city leaders, along with the Great Recession, temporarily put to rest plans to develop the area.</p><p>Now, the combination of an improving economy and a swing on the City Council more open to development has resurrected hopes that the area could be transformed.</p><p>The Venice Municipal Airport controls much of the land and would receive the vast majority of rental revenue generated by development. When the airport was deeded to the City of Venice by the federal government decades ago, the federal government included a clause saying the profits from all non-aeronautical activities on the land would go directly to the airport. </p><p>Christopher Rozansky, who manages the Venice Municipal Airport, said about half of the airport's revenue comes from such non-aeronautic activities, like the Lake Venice Golf Club and the Venice Municipal Mobile Home Park.</p><p>It used to get rental revenue from Sharky's Restaurant on the Pier, before the city bought the land on which Sharky's stands last summer.</p><p>That loss of revenue has put financial pressure on the airport.</p><p>"Without that share of the Sharky's revenue, we're on the cusp of being in the red," Rozansky said. "So we need to find some replacement revenue."</p><p>But advocates for the Venice Circus Arena, which sits on the newly zoned land, have long said the airport could make more money by renting out the skeleton of the former circus arena - which they hope to cover with a canvas canopy - for events, farmers markets and live music performances.</p><p>Larry Ivey, a member of the Venice Circus Arts Foundation who was at Tuesday's council meeting, said the newly opened door for development could slow the plans for the arena.</p><p>"It doesn't keep us from (saving the arena) by changing this plan," Ivey said. "But it creates competition if and when someone wants to build something there."</p><p>In 2004, Venice-based Waterford Companies proposed building a six-screen movie theater, up to 500 hotel rooms, a spa, a yoga center, a YMCA, a teen activities center, restaurants, a conference center, up to 100,000 square feet of shops, and a 99-slip marina with dry-docking facilities for 360 boats.</p><p>This time around, the city council has no plan for what to actually do with the land.</p><p>The lack of concrete ideas worried Venice Councilman Jim Bennett, who was the sole council member to vote against opening the land up to development.</p><p>He said although he would like to see the land developed eventually, the city should have taken more time to figure out what would go where and how each separate parcel properties would be used and developed.</p><p>By just lifting the restrictions on development, Bennett said, the area could suffer from unforeseen issues.</p><p>"It makes it even less controlled than it is now," Bennett said. "It's like a free-for-all, and I don't think that's how we should go about this."</p><p>But Rozansky, with the airport, hopes to get planning ideas from Venice residents by hosting several public workshops in the coming weeks and months.</p><p>He said although he does not have a timeline for development, he hopes the community and developers will come up with an agreeable plan.</p><p>"Venice is a unique community," Rozansky said. "They want to retain that small-town charm, but I think it has the opportunity to promote tourism and create jobs and enhance the tax base — all the while giving rental revenue to the airport."</p><p>EARLIER: In a move that could transform the Southern gateway to Venice, the City Council today tentatively approved rezoning one of the largest undeveloped areas on the island to allow for significant commercial development.</p><p>The Council voted 6-1 on first reading to strike a phrase from an ordinance that previously barred the commercial and residential development of the land surrounding the area north of Circus Bridge.</p><p>The area runs from the Circus Bridge to Avenida Del Circo and Airport Avenue south of U.S. 41, and it stretches from the circus bridge to Fairway Boulevard in the north, touching the southern edge of the Amora neighborhood.</p><p>The current zoning barred commercial and residential development of the land, meaning it could have only been developed into a public space, like a park.</p><p>Now, the area could see a mixed-use, residential and commercial area complete with restaurants, condominiums, a marina, medical offices and event venues.</p><p>The Venice Municipal Airport controls much of the land and would receive the vast majority of rental revenue generated by developing the Southern Gateway area. When the airport was deeded to the City of Venice by the federal government decades ago, the federal government included a clause saying the profits from all non-aeronautical activities on the land would go directly to the airport. </p><p>Christopher Rozansky, who manages the Venice Municipal Airport, said the land is like a blank slate for the community and plans to hold public workshops so citizens can have their hand in the development process.</p><p>“Venice is a unique community,” Rozansky said. “They want to retain that small-town charm, but I think it has the opportunity to promote tourism and create jobs and enhance the tax base - all the while giving rental revenue to the airport.”</p>